Johnson & Johnson vs Pfizer: Founders, CEOs and History
Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886 by Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, Edward Mead Johnson and is led by Joaquin Duato. Pfizer was founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer, Charles Erhart and is led by Albert Bourla.
Company facts
Johnson & Johnson
- Founded
- 1886
- Headquarters
- New Brunswick, New Jersey
- Current CEO
- Joaquin Duato
- Employees
- 140,800
Pfizer
- Founded
- 1849
- Headquarters
- New York, New York
- Current CEO
- Albert Bourla
- Employees
- 75,000
Founders
Johnson & Johnson
Robert Wood Johnson
Robert Wood Johnson (1845-1910) co-founded Johnson & Johnson in 1886 and served as its first president.
James Wood Johnson
James Wood Johnson (1856-1932) co-founded Johnson & Johnson with his brothers and focused on manufacturing. After Robert's death in 1910 he became president, leading the company until 1932.
Edward Mead Johnson
Edward Mead Johnson (1852-1934) co-founded Johnson & Johnson in 1886. He left J&J in 1897 and later founded Mead Johnson & Company, known for infant nutrition products.
Pfizer
Charles Pfizer
Pfizer possesses a historic, immigrant founding story, rooted entirely in the rapid industrial expansion of 19th-century Brooklyn and defined by an effective, intensely meticulous German chemist and his ambitious confectioner cousin.
Charles Erhart
Charles Erhart's role in Pfizer's founding is less celebrated than his cousin's, partly because the company carries Charles Pfizer's name and partly because his commercial contributions were less visible than the scientific achievements that drove the company'…
CEOs and their tenures
Johnson & Johnson
- Ralph Larsen1989–2002
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Larsen's acquisitions, including Neutrogena, Cordis, DePuy, and Centocor, broadened J&J into medical devices and biologics, laying groundwork for today's MedTech segment and immunology franchise.
Source - William Weldon2002–2012
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Weldon's later years were overshadowed by a wave of consumer product recalls, including Tylenol and Motrin, tied to manufacturing-quality problems.
Source - Alex Gorsky2012–2022
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Gorsky's tenure set up the 2023 Kenvue separation completed under his successor and saw J&J's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized in 2021. He also oversaw the $30 billion Actelion acquisition in 2017 and the early years of talc litigation.
Source - Joaquin Duato2022–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Duato, J&J's sales reached $94.193 billion in FY2025 with $26.804 billion in net earnings, and the company guides to its first $100 billion year in 2026. He also launched the DePuy Synthes separation and the 2026 talc settlement proposal.
Source
Pfizer
- Ian Read2010–2018
Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive of Pfizer from 2010 until December 31, 2018; Albert Bourla succeeded him as CEO on January 1, 2019.
Source - Albert Bourla2019–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A veterinarian by training who joined Pfizer Animal Health in 1993, Bourla became CEO on January 1, 2019 and Chairman in 2020.
Source - Dave Denton2022–2026
Chief Financial Officer
Former CVS Health CFO who ran Pfizer finance through the Seagen financing and cost program, leaving on August 15, 2026 for a consumer goods company.
Source - Chris Boshoff2025–present
Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development
Former Chief Oncology Officer who took over all of Pfizer R&D effective January 1, 2025.
Source - Cecile Guegan2026–present
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Previously senior vice president of finance for Pfizer's global biopharmaceuticals business; became interim CFO after Dave Denton left on August 15, 2026.
Source
Timeline: Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer side by side
1849Pfizer
Pfizer Founded
Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart founded the company in Brooklyn.
1886Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson Founded
Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, and Edward Mead Johnson found the company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with 14 employees, to mass-produce sterile surgical dressings after Robert was inspired by antiseptic pioneer Joseph Lister's 1885 warnings about i…
1920Johnson & Johnson
Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages Introduced
J&J introduces the first mass-produced adhesive bandage, sold under the Band-Aid brand starting in 1921; it becomes one of the most recognized consumer-health brands in the world before J&J later spins its consumer division out as Kenvue in 2023.
1943Johnson & Johnson
Robert Wood Johnson II Writes 'Our Credo'
Chairman Robert Wood Johnson II authors 'Our Credo,' a one-page statement ranking the company's responsibilities to customers, employees, communities, and shareholders in that order; it remains J&J's official governing philosophy and was later cited as the bas…
1944Johnson & Johnson
J&J Goes Public
Johnson & Johnson lists publicly, becoming an independent, market-traded company as it expands into a diversified healthcare business under Chairman Robert Wood Johnson II.
1944Pfizer
Penicillin Scale-Up
Pfizer helped industrialize penicillin production during World War II.
1982Johnson & Johnson
Tylenol Cyanide Poisonings and Nationwide Recall
After seven people in the Chicago area die from cyanide-laced Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules, J&J issues a nationwide recall of 31 million bottles within a week -- far beyond what investigators said was necessary -- citing Our Credo's customer-safety priority…
2000Pfizer
Warner-Lambert Deal
Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert, adding Lipitor.
2012Johnson & Johnson
Alex Gorsky Becomes CEO
Gorsky succeeds William Weldon as CEO amid a period of manufacturing-quality recalls, and spends the next decade restoring J&J's operational reputation while expanding the pharmaceutical and MedTech businesses and developing a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine duri…
2020Pfizer
BioNTech COVID Vaccine Partnership
Pfizer and BioNTech brought Comirnaty through emergency authorization.
2022Johnson & Johnson
Joaquin Duato Becomes CEO
Duato becomes CEO in January 2022, later adding the chairman title, and begins preparing the separation of J&J's consumer-health business from its medicine and device operations.
2023Johnson & Johnson
Kenvue Separation
J&J completes the spinoff of its consumer-health business (Band-Aid, Tylenol, Listerine, Neutrogena) as the standalone public company Kenvue, narrowing J&J around its higher-margin Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments.
2023Pfizer
Seagen Acquisition
Pfizer completed the $43 billion Seagen acquisition.
2025Johnson & Johnson
FY2025 Sales of $94.193B
Johnson & Johnson reports $94.193 billion in sales and $26.804 billion in net earnings, split roughly 64% Innovative Medicine and 36% MedTech, both segments growing about 6% year over year.
2025Johnson & Johnson
Orthopaedics Separation Announced
In October 2025 J&J announced plans to separate its orthopaedics business as a standalone company operating as DePuy Synthes, targeting completion in 2027.
2025Pfizer
Chris Boshoff Becomes CSO
Chris Boshoff became Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development effective January 1, 2025.
2025Pfizer
Metsera Acquisition
Pfizer completed its acquisition of obesity drug developer Metsera in November 2025 for up to about $10 billion including CVRs.
2025Pfizer
FY2025 Revenue Base
Pfizer reported $62.579 billion of FY2025 revenue.
2026Johnson & Johnson
Proposed Talc Resolution and Raised Guidance
J&J raised 2026 sales guidance to about $101.1 billion after Q2 sales of $25.31 billion, and on July 27, 2026 proposed an estimated $5.5 billion resolution of remaining ovarian talc claims.
2026Pfizer
Innovent Oncology Collaboration
Pfizer signed a 12-program cancer collaboration with Innovent Biologics: $650 million upfront and up to $9.85 billion in milestones.
Acquisitions
Johnson & Johnson
- Intra-Cellular Therapies2025$14.6B
- Shockwave Medical2024$13.1B
- Kenvue separation2023Undisclosed
- Abiomed2022$16.6B
- Actelion2017$30B
Pfizer
- Metsera, Inc.2025$7B
- Seagen Inc.2023$43B
- Medivation Inc.2016$14B
- Wyeth2009$68B
- Pharmacia Corporation2003$60B
- Warner-Lambert Company2000$111B
Questions about Johnson & Johnson vs Pfizer
Who is the CEO of Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc.?
Johnson & Johnson is led by Joaquin Duato and Pfizer Inc. is led by Albert Bourla. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Johnson & Johnson founded vs Pfizer Inc.?
Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 — 37 years before Johnson & Johnson, which was founded in 1886. Pfizer Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Johnson & Johnson.
How many employees does Johnson & Johnson have compared to Pfizer Inc.?
Johnson & Johnson employs approximately 140,800 people, while Pfizer Inc. employs approximately 75,000. Johnson & Johnson has the larger workforce at 140,800 employees, compared to Pfizer Inc.'s 75,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. headquartered?
Both Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc.?
Johnson & Johnson was founded by Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, Edward Mead Johnson. Pfizer Inc. was founded by Charles Pfizer, Charles Erhart.
Which company has a longer operating history — Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer Inc.?
Pfizer Inc. has been operating for approximately 177 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Johnson & Johnson has been in operation for around 140 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Johnson & Johnson vs Pfizer overview